When Angels Cry
by Arot
Summary: A different take on the ending of Frozen. Elsa does not escape as she does in the movie and, ultimately, becomes a captive in her own castle.
1. Rude Awakening

A/N: Hey, so, this is mainly centered around Elsa. It's rated M because I feel some themes might be dark, especially as we go deeper into Elsa's state of mind as the story progresses. It's not intended to be a Hans/Elsa pairing at all.

Let me know what you think!

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She woke up with a throb in her head; the sharp pain hit the back of her eyes and she struggled to tear them open. Through the blur she caught a glimpse of the ceiling and in a heartbeat she knew where she was: the cellars of Arendelle. Groaning, both from the headache and the growing nausea, Queen Elsa heaved herself up slowly. _What happened? How did I get here?_ As she went to rub her forehead, cold metal bit into her frail skin and the shackles tightened around her wrists. Gasping, she tried to stand, only to have her legs give out underneath her. She collapsed to the stone ground, the throb intensifying; with a deep sigh, she laid there, tears brimming the corners of her eyes. _None of this would have happened if I had been stronger. Oh, Anna… _

The room was dark and the small window overlooking the fjord was frozen solid by a cold that most would have found unbearable. She did not mind, however, as she had never been bothered by the cold; in fact, it felt comfortable. It was a feeling she knew and one that had followed her throughout all of her young life. "_Conceal, don't feel._" How she hated those words. She had tried so hard to live by them and, now, alone in her own castle's cellar, she found it impossible to not break down.

Loud, commanding footsteps snapped her out of her haze. They neared the door and she flinched as she heard the lock rattle. Dread overcame her and she tried once more to stand, her legs shaking but holding her up at least to some degree of modesty. She found support against the wall, careful not to move her wrists in any way that would tighten the metal grip. It was suddenly bright, and she turned away from the hallways' illuminated glare; the door was then shut and she breathed out, welcoming the darkness that surrounded her once again.

"Why have you brought me here?" she asked, her tone laced with a hint of anger. Hans, her sister's fiancé, took a step forward and set down his lantern.

"I couldn't just let them kill you," he replied, and Elsa thought she discerned something… dishonest in his voice.

"Where's Anna?" she asked, letting out a sigh and lightly pushing herself off the wall, trying her best to stand tall like the queen she was.

"Anna has not yet returned." This time, Elsa was sure there was something else behind the prince's false concern. She frowned, her platinum eyebrows knitting tightly together.

"You don't love her at all," she hissed, feeling her magic begin to stir inside her. The prince took a few other steps, until he was at arm's length from her. She could not help a shudder, whether from rage or fear, as this man seemed to radiate an aura of danger. Unwillingly, she found herself taking a step back and the prince smirked deviously, his captive's action far from being unnoticed.

"You're right, I don't. But you made it far too easy for me; the poor girl has been locked away from the world because of you. I suppose then I have to thank you for handing me your kingdom."

Elsa tried to shatter her shackles but her mental instability made it difficult to concentrate. Oh, how she wished she could impale this man with her shards of ice, watch him bleed for all of his misdeeds and hurtful words. How could he do this to her baby sister? _I'm so sorry Anna, for everything._

Before she could retaliate in defense, Hans reached for her and gripped her throat tightly with his hand. He pushed her roughly against the wall, raising her from the ground; she swung her feet in a vain attempt to release herself, but he was too strong for her weakened state.

"Let me go," she hissed between her teeth, trying to concentrate her magic on freeing the shackles. As she grew frustrated, her magic lost its focus and she began to freeze the wall behind her. Hans let out a sinister laugh and, without much effort, flung her small frame towards the bed. She fell onto the hard mattress, the metallic restraints digging deep into her skin; she whimpered as droplets of blood began to stain the sleeves of her icy robe.

"She adored you, you know. Oh, how she wanted your warmth, even glimpses of your smile; but you were selfish. You shut your door and locked her out of your heart. You are a monster, Elsa, condemning your very own sister to a childhood of sadness and loneliness."

"Stop," she breathed out, and in a second he was towering over her. His hands found her shoulders and he pushed her down, bruising her collar bone in the process.

"She only wanted a friend, Elsa. She wanted a sister to hold and comfort her. You couldn't even do that."

Elsa whimpered again, shutting her eyes and trying to orient herself. The cellar seemed to be spinning around her and she was losing her foothold in this downwards spiral. Hans' words tormented her consciousness and she could not block him out; wherever she looked there he was, with that grin she would have liked to permanently erase from his revolting face.

"Stop, please…" she whispered, feeling weakened and drained. She imagined Anna, her little Anna, lost in her blizzard; cold, alone, was she still alive? She had struck her heart and frozen it solid. What had the wise troll said, _the heart is not so easily changed_?

The prince smirked, taking hold of her arms and raising them above her head. She squirmed and tried to fight him off, but he simply pinned her with his weight; he quite liked the gorgeous queen of Arendelle submitted below him like this.

"Don't fight, my queen. As you see I have already won. When Anna returns we will be wedded, and then the people will demand your execution for the eternal winter you brought upon them. As you see, it is a happy ending after all."

"No," she gritted, "you will not get away with this. Arendelle will never be yours."

Before she could blink, the back of his hand collided with her cheek and she gasped, surprised and dumbfounded by this action.

"I am in charge now, my queen. Soon, this will be my kingdom. Until then, you shut your mouth unless I tell you otherwise."

Elsa snarled in response, launching her hips up in a sudden jolt of strength. Taken by surprise, Hans lost his balance momentarily and she used this opportunity to free herself. With a strong shove, she managed to push her captor off; not losing a moment, she sent out a blast of ice, freezing the cellar and shattering the shackles. The aftershocks hit the prince and she caught a glimpse of him crashing against the far end wall, unconscious. Elsa bolted for the door, blasting it off its hinges. _Anna, you have to be somewhere. Please, Anna, where are you? _Scrambling between corridors, she finally found the staircase leading back into her domain. _I'm coming Anna, I promise_.


	2. I Remember

Anna felt strange arms around her slim figure. Distraught, she tried to wiggle free of the hold but soon gave up, exhausted. They were speaking and it puzzled her, as she could not make out the words or their meanings. _What are they saying? Why is it so bright here?_

The castle halls were ablaze with an unnatural light and the brightness forced her eyes close. _Hans, I need Hans!_Her sister's curse was taking effect far too quickly. She felt frozen and breathing made her fear she might shatter from the inside. Her limbs were numb, and she knew it would now be moments before she was frozen solid, forever. _Please, take me to Hans…_

She felt herself being dropped onto a mattress; a bed or a couch, she was not quite sure. _It's so cold._

"Hans…" she managed to croak out, coughing as her lungs felt heavy with ice. Her assembly scrambled around frantically, and she thought she made out a couple of the words exchanged; nothing that quite made sense, however. Blankets were thrown atop her but she hardly noticed as she shook violently, the shivers assaulting every inch. _Please help me, anyone, please._ Then her assembly was gone and she found herself alone. She tried to haul herself up, but her chest felt too heavy. Her cheeks burned as hot tears flooded her already blurry vision. _Oh, Elsa, I'm so sorry. I've never even told you how much I love you. I'm so sorry; I can't be as strong as you._

She heard movement to her left, but she dismissed it and instead starred at the ceiling through her swelled and sorrowful tears. _Remember, Elsa, we used to gaze at the winter stars like this. You would tell me to make a wish, but you would never let me tell you what I wished for. I wish you were here right now; we could even build a snowman…_

A series of sobs tore at her throat and she felt herself choke, her eyes burning from pain deeper and stronger than her freezing heart. _Oh, Elsa, I remember now. I remember everything, why you had to lock yourself away. I remember…_

She felt a cold shiver, and then a veil of dark seemed to wrap around her. It almost felt comfortable, in a numbing way. It was peaceful, and her thoughts went quiet until all was still. She then hardly felt the biting cold freeze her broken body.


	3. Dear Anna

Elsa destroyed door after door, madly dashing through the halls. She cursed the castle's uselessly large amount of rooms and swore she would think of a better design for the next castle she would build. She arrived before the study's door and, with a powerful blast of ice, she turned the door and the surrounding wall into dust. The room was dark but she did not need to see to feel her sister's presence. Illuminating the study with a soft glow, she gasped at the sight of Anna and rushed to her side.

"Anna, Anna! I'm here, I found you. It's going to be okay, Anna. I'm going to make everything okay."

Her sister did not move or react. Her gaze, fixed to the ceiling above, was frozen and the realization of what she had done struck the ice queen like a barbed blade.

"Anna! Answer me, Anna!"

Anna was motionless, and so cold. _Colder than death._

Unable to keep it in any longer, Elsa's defenses shattered and heart wrenching sobs she had been holding back since that night so many years ago tore their way out of her lips. She held her beloved sister against her, not giving a care in the world about her lack of modest composure. _Anna, please come back. I never meant for any of this to happen._

"Bravo, bravo. I could not have done better myself."

Elsa whipped around, instinctively using her body to protect Anna's frozen one.

"You monster. I will kill you," she hissed between her teeth, a dark aura surrounding her. Hans smirked that arrogant smirk she despised so damn much.

"Monster? You're the only monster here, murderer," he replied with a hint of amusement. "You killed your own sister!"

"No!"

Far beyond any form of self-control, Elsa struck wildly. In her rage, her magic missed its target and Hans simply laughed, avoiding each attack with ease. He knew she would tire out eventually, and he was quite enjoying seeing the ice queen in such… emotional turmoil.

"She told me all about how you neglected her, and how she felt she would never be good enough for your love. She died with the thought that you hated her!"

"Shut up!"

Elsa sent an impressive wall of ice in the prince's direction, and he laughed again. Easily avoiding the treacherous spines, he was within striking distance before she could ready a second attack. In one swift move, he struck her chest with the hilt of his sabre. Elsa was momentarily short on breath, and she stumbled backwards. Losing her concentration, the rage-fuelled adrenaline rush from earlier suddenly dissipated and she was hit with a grounding wave of exhaustion. She crumbled at his feet, panting and sobbing. Smugly, the prince bent down and took hold of her chin, forcing her tear-burned face towards him.

"You're so beautiful, when you're devastated. The pain in your eyes is just wonderful."

Angrily, the young queen tried to summon her magic. Before she could impale him, however, he broke her wrists. She shrieked in pain, the burning sensation filling every one of her senses. Hans stood and turned his back to her, slowly pacing the study.

"You did thwart my plans a little, however. With Anna gone before our wedding vows could be pronounced, I must now find a new mean to the throne. You realize what this means, don't you, Elsa my dear?"

Elsa tried to focus, but the sharp pain in her wrists was just enough to keep her in a mind-lock. _No, no, no. Do something, Elsa, be strong!_

Through drying tears she watched the vile man turn back towards her, and the hate she read on his features mirrored hers. His eyes were darker than anything she had ever seen before, and she wondered how she had missed it that first night at her coronation.

"You will never be king! I will die before I see you wear my father's crown."

"Oh, you will die," Hans said with a merciless grin. "But I am going to have to keep you alive until you are betrothed to me."

Her expression shattered, and she knew he enjoyed her helplessness. _He has… won. I have failed everyone._

Without a second thought, she crawled towards her sister as best as she could. She kissed her between tears and sobs.

"I'm sorry Anna, I love you so much."

She heard Hans snicker to himself and then she felt a hard blow to the back of her head. A sharp, sudden pain filled the back of her eyes. Then, it was quiet and, in the stillness, she collapsed against her sister.

* * *

A/N: Don't worry, I love Elsa and Anna way too much to not give them a happy ending. I do have a twister planned because, well, I can. To address the concern that Elsa might be slightly out of character at the end of this chapter, she's really just having a mental breakdown and because of it she can't focus at all. Her sister just froze to death because of her and Hans is torturing her psychologically, so I couldn't imagine her doing anything but being at a complete lost.


	4. Solitude

Elsa had lost her notion of time. Once again she found herself trapped between the four walls of her bedroom, the frost-bitten tapestry a sore reminder of the not-so-distant past. _These walls overflow with memories_, she thought, brushing the wall's surface with her palm. _And none of them are pleasant_.

Her magic had somewhat helped in repairing her wrists. Occasional sharp pains would still bring her soft whimpers, but she was functional; physically, at least.

The storm raged outside, the howling wind assaulting the castle remorselessly. She was afraid to approach the window, afraid she would catch a glimpse of her reflection and see the monster she had started to believe she was; the monster responsible for Anna's death.

She leaned against the door and sank to the ground, bringing her knees to her chest and holding herself tightly. It was easy to… forget the present, easy to fall back into the sanctum of her mind. If she listened closely, she was sure she could hear a soft scraping on the other side, the same sound that had tormented her through her teenage years. She could imagine Anna in a sweet, little green dress, her luscious auburn hair falling untidily in that adorable way of hers. She could see her eyes, her face bright and an aura of determination about her. Regardless of how many years passed, Anna kept her hopes alive. They both knew it would prove futile, in the end, but still Anna came to her door, well aware of the heartache that it would bring her each time her sister asked her to go. _The hope to one day have my open affection outweighed the pain of my withdrawal_, Elsa concluded with a sad sigh.

She looked up to the ceiling, that same ceiling she would stare at when, so many years ago, guilt-stricken thoughts of her sister kept her awake. She would wish, then, for a chance to make it up to her, and make it right between them. Then, she would glance down at her gloved hands and curse her gift, knowing she could never afford to let anyone in. Fearing she would hurt those she loved, she accepted her burden with a heavy heart.

_You killed Anna._

The queen tore her icy orbs from the remorseful memories of the ever-watching ceiling. This room had once held comfort, and provided her a sense of security; now, it only reminded of the precious time she had lost and would never get back, time she could have spent with Anna.

Hans was right. She hated the man, but his words buried themselves deep into her consciousness. She was a monster and, in the end, she really did manage to hurt everyone she had allowed herself to love. She was as cold as her winter's ice; she had abandoned feelings somewhere along her lonely path. At this moment, she could not even love herself. She had failed and, unintentionally, she had made the wise old troll's prophecy come true.

There was then a soft knock and Elsa recoiled, her eyes stinging as memories she had tried to bury now found their way out of their shallow graves. Without a second thought, she threw the door open, for a brief moment imagining it was Anna, having come asked if she would like to help her build a snowman. For a second she almost believed it was real – wanted to believe it was real – and she felt her heart flutter and threaten to burst out of her chest.

Gravity brought her back with force as she came crashing into reality, realizing her sister would never again knock at her door. Hans spoke, his harsh tone laced with disgust.

"Get changed, it's time for the ceremony."

With that he left, his steps resonating in the vacant halls. She watched him disappear behind a turn, and for a second longer she stayed suspended between the two realms, balancing dangerously on the threshold of her sanity.

She felt empty, stripped of her will to live.

Quietly, she shut the door and sank back to the floor, burying her face between her hands. She sobbed but, to her surprise, she found herself unable to cry.

_Just let me die already._


	5. Melting, A Drop At A Time

_Love will thaw a frozen heart._

Amidst Arendelle's courtyard, the frozen gardens seemed lost in time; the large willows would forever weep, as would the marble fountains. The ponds would never again sway, and neither would the pale roses that grew along the edges of the court. At the centre of this secret winter oasis, however, a faint but sturdy heartbeat fought against its confinement. Slowly, the centre piece began to thaw, a single drop at a time.

The wind howled furiously and the storm continued to rage. Warmth, nevertheless, had found itself a spark to ignite within the chaos. As it was, the princess of Arendelle's time-preserved prison seemed to glow from within, a bright and warming glow. The glow appeared to spread from her core and, as it hopped from one spark to another, some may have said it danced.

As the princess was released, so was the garden. The ice cracked, shattered, fractured into fine dust. Free at last, Anna opened her eyes in time to see the dust rise to the greyed, soulless skies, the magical dust sparkling like bright, little diamonds. In the next moment they were gone, but a new life now filled the beautiful gardens.

Coughing and hacking, Anna suddenly felt disoriented and she sat down on the flourishing grass. A small bird chirped beside her and she picked up the little creature, letting out a joyful laugh.

"I have to save Elsa, don't I?" she asked to no one in particular.

Softly rubbing the bird's sides with her finger tips, he shot her a puzzling glance and chirped once more before taking flight. In awe, Anna watched him disappear behind the covers of an oak. She stood and shook her head, consciously noticing her body's every function. Inhaling, she took a deep breath and, for the first time in her life, she realized how amazing life really was. The fresh, pure oxygen filled her lungs to the brim, revitalizing her in ways she had never truly appreciated before.

"Of course I have to save her; the poor girl couldn't live without me," she stated with a large, amused grin. _I have so much to tell you, Elsa. Just hang on for a little while longer, and I'll make everything right._


End file.
